, 1887-08-04

startled by some slight noise. and opening his
eyes he found the attic in total darkness, for
the moon had gone down. As his eyes be-
came more accustomed TO the darkness, he
could family discern right before him
figure half through an opening in the floor.
"Sh-hits mo, mister" came in q faint
whisper. "Thay'uns are down thar, an ye
must gitl Kun down here, right smart, !"
and the girl reached out and grasped his hand
with frantic clutch.
Craddock comprehended tho situation at
once, and noiselessly felt his way to the open.
ing, where Nan had removed loose board
directly over her own bedroom. To follow
her through the opening into the room below
was his next move, and then as he stood
there, with the girl by his side, he heard her
short, quick breath, and realized that she was
facing great danger In thus striving to pre-
vent further wrong under that family roof.
And he heard more than the girls painting
for breath. Voices of men In low, earnest
talk came through the thin partition, and he
knew that just on the other side were those
who sought his life. Then tho girl pushed
him towards the open door, saying:
Eyer hoss are saddled, mister, down by the
cowpen. Be powerful keerful till ye gifts out
o. hearin', then git"
But just at this moment footstep was
heard In the attic overhead, followed almost
Immediately by old Rankin's shout;
"Hes clard out, boys He's clean gonep
All was confusion at once. There was .
rush and trampling Of feet, oaths and curses
loud and deep, as the gang hurried out and
surrounded the house. A moment later the
door Of the bedroom was flung open, letting
in food of light from the fireplace, aud out
lined against 1t was Rankin's towering form,
convulsed now with rage and baffied hate.
What he saw was calculated to excite him
still more. In the center of the little room
stood Craddock firmly grasping his revolver.
BY his side, still clutching his hand, was Nan,
her face ashen white, but standing erect as IL
the new purpose which filled her soul had
made her brave enough to face the furies OF
hell.
"Don't shoot, paw don't ye kill himl Oh,
paw, amt ye had enuf of robbin and killin'
folkses3 Don't ye want to live honest likel
Oh, please do, pawi"
The appeal died out in wall Of unutter-
able misery as the girl saw that the brutal
heart OF the father was untouched.
"What fer We gone ter preachin, ye sniveln'
brata Git out o. that till fix himl"
But the girl made no move to leave. Her
hand trembled slightly, and her eyes were
filed with dread, but she remained immov-
able.
Then with hoarse cry OF rage Rankin
leveled his revolver at Craddock and fired,
but the latter was equally quick and fired al
most at the same instant. Quicker than
either, however, was the girl, who threw her
self between her father and his intended VIC
tim, knocking up Craddocks revolver with q
blow of her hand, and sending his ball harm
less into the ceiling, while she received the
shot meant for Craddock in her own side,
and sank to the floor with the life blood
staining her dress.
The revolver dropped from Ranlin's hand
and he stood for moment paralyzed. Then,
as the full import Of what he had done
dawned on his mind, he turned, and with a
great cry OF grief, remorse and horror, he
sped out into the darkness and never was seen
again.
The mother, broken hearted and broken
spirited by long years of sorrow, and tho
stranger, Craddock, gently laid the half un-
conscious girl on her bed and ministered to
her wants as best they could. .Craddocks
knowledge of surgery told him that her
wound was fatal, and all they could do was
20 smooth the way for her. Just as the morn
ing sun was peering through the pines she
aroused and feebly whispered:
"Paw, thar won't be no more robbin', will
tharl Pm glad of this ends hit. Paw, don't
feel--bad. for-give"-
The wind sighed and moaned in the pines,
but the sun sent a slanting ray into the little
room and it rested on wan, pale face on
which was heavenly smile.
Old Rankins gal was dead.
A. TIFFANY NORTON